Would you rather have a single spawn combo, that spawns a single group of them, or a multi spawn combo, so you can get unit types rather than a group of jumbled combo?
The latter is more of a mix and match kind of thing, so:
You get 3 "draws" on a random.
Each one gives you a unit type to spawn, based on supply.
Draw #1 + #2 is always 2 fighting unit type, and #3 is always 1 random support type.
Note that it is only ground units for fighters, whilst supporters can be air or ground.
Support:
* Medivac x2
* Sentry x4
* Observer x2
* Infestor x1
* Raven x1
* High Templar x2
* Phoenix x2
* Void Ray x1
* SCV x1 (can build 1 free bunker and 1 Missile Turret)
* Probe x1 (can build 1 pylon and 2 cannons)
* Ghost x1
* Overseer x1 (can make creep to prevent people from building)
* Queen x1 (Transfusion can heal any structure, can spawn larva in a area to make 6 broodlings, can use creep tumor on any surface)
Rather than having a chance, it is all randomized, or basically "drawn" by a click of a button.
You could get a mix of marines, dark templar, and a probe if your lucky, but how you use them is up to you.
Then consider your combos to be combo cards, so rather than it focusing on just supplies, it needs to focus on specific roles...
But why would other player's care if they can't even choose such roles?
Maybe...
A list of Tactics, with each category having a list of possible outcomes?
Think of it like playing cards, and shuffling them... Each tier has 4 cards/combos, and they all randomized based on luck/chance...
Can there be heroes or perks or something? That could spice things up to affect how you draw the tier's potential...
There can be 3 Race to go with each tier, and each combo, meaning they are race specific combo.
There can also be a Non-Race specific combos, but isn't free to get (requires points to use).
Maybe you can make risk takers able to gain more units using a randomize "all" option... Meaning you have a chance of gaining more units if you prefer to take this risk.
The idea is to have each tier has as much random combos as possible that fits that role...
BUT! Random tier has a chance of randomizing which tier to get, plus able to get combos not found in each of those tiers!
I did, but that's SC1, this is SC2, which has new units that doesn't have hard counters anymore.
Unless the map was something different, but I do remember the Micro Arena name.
There were civilians used to activate beacons I think, to select a squad/group to spawn.
That's when you go further and try to balance a small group of normal unit, vs a massive unit.
So maybe in some cases, 1 massive is equal to a group of 8 unit, but sometimes not so much when it comes to other kinds of units.
I think about 1 thor is equal to 4 zealots damage wise because they do a lot of damage to prevent the thors from sniping them off.
8 Marines might fail though, but mainly because of the dual shots the thor uses to kill 1 marine.
...
Maybe separate normal staple units, from massive units which can be used in limited numbers?
You know how you can summon a unit via Civilian -> beacon thing in sc1 right? Well in SC2, what if you can make a custom currency/points system for kills, and it allows players to gain access to buying massive units?
The massive units probably can work alongside normal units, so a player can buy a stack of 8 marines + 1 battlecruiser.
Also, you should consider adding the immortal into the list as it's own speciality.
* 2 Immortals + 2 Sentries
And in my case, for some combos to work, I see Sentries and High Templars as support units most of the time, so when making a combo, you need a main combat unit, and if possible, any support unit...
Maybe you could curve this customization further by offering different possible options for players to summon:
1) At first you can only summon bulk numbers of simply army units.
2) Upon gaining enough kills, you unlock support units to spend credits on.
3) Upon gaining enough points, you can spend credits on massive units!
1 Point for 1 supply kill. So a Immortal counts as 3 supply = 3 points?
Air units that are mainly used can be the Viking, Phoenix, and Mutalisks only.
Void Ray, Corruptor, and Banshees are "advanced units" that has to be bought with currency.
If you make the currency a bit harsher on spammers (void ray massing), then it can be made so it's impossible to go over a capacity limit of that unit, or making it too cost effective.
What could work for the spawning system, is a easy to access structure that is shown on the hud, that allows you to select your spawning unit from anywhere...
Heck, if your good at this, you could even make it possible to access "purchasing" menus using the on screen buttons.
Start off simple, like a full use of supply for 1 unit, for the staple battle ready units.
The bigger units like Thor, Battlecruisers, Colossus, Carriers, Broodlords and Ultralisks are exempted from the supply and will be limited to 1-2 unit per combo. Mainly because they not only has and use a lower amount of total supplies, but they also have a larger resource count compared to normal units.
Thor has a 300/200 cost for example...
Marines have a 50/0 cost.
1 Thor is roughly about 500 minerals of marines, or 10 marines.
So in that case, it is much easier to use 2 Thors for 1 combo, seeing how they are ridiculously good at doing damage to typical ground units (they do splash damage to air too).
2 Battlecruisers seems balanced against 2 thors (rapid attacks).
2 Colossus can be a bit troubling against a army of small units (on both sides that is), because marines, stalkers, and marauders can focus fire on one. But they can harm a group of units easily with decent and rapid damage.
2 Ultralisk is okay, since they do 25 in a area attack, and thus fits the role of a meat shield better.
2 Carriers is good enough since that would make it 20 interceptors doing 5 damage each? Having a 0 cost to remake interceptors is required.
2 Broodlords are okay... Seeing how any more can make the broodlings out of control.
@payne007:
Oh, then...
Would you rather have a single spawn combo, that spawns a single group of them, or a multi spawn combo, so you can get unit types rather than a group of jumbled combo?
The latter is more of a mix and match kind of thing, so:
You get 3 "draws" on a random.
Each one gives you a unit type to spawn, based on supply.
Draw #1 + #2 is always 2 fighting unit type, and #3 is always 1 random support type.
Note that it is only ground units for fighters, whilst supporters can be air or ground.
Possible draws...
Fighters:
* Marine x6
* Marauder x3
* Zealot x3
* Stalker x3
* Zergling x12
* Roach x6
* Hellion x2
* Siege Tank x1
* Immortal x1
* Hydralisk x3
* Colossus x1
* Thor x1
* Ultralisk x1
* Dark Templar x2
Support:
* Medivac x2
* Sentry x4
* Observer x2
* Infestor x1
* Raven x1
* High Templar x2
* Phoenix x2
* Void Ray x1
* SCV x1 (can build 1 free bunker and 1 Missile Turret)
* Probe x1 (can build 1 pylon and 2 cannons)
* Ghost x1
* Overseer x1 (can make creep to prevent people from building)
* Queen x1 (Transfusion can heal any structure, can spawn larva in a area to make 6 broodlings, can use creep tumor on any surface)
Rather than having a chance, it is all randomized, or basically "drawn" by a click of a button.
You could get a mix of marines, dark templar, and a probe if your lucky, but how you use them is up to you.
@payne007:
Then consider your combos to be combo cards, so rather than it focusing on just supplies, it needs to focus on specific roles...
But why would other player's care if they can't even choose such roles?
Maybe...
A list of Tactics, with each category having a list of possible outcomes?
Think of it like playing cards, and shuffling them... Each tier has 4 cards/combos, and they all randomized based on luck/chance...
Can there be heroes or perks or something? That could spice things up to affect how you draw the tier's potential...
There can be 3 Race to go with each tier, and each combo, meaning they are race specific combo.
There can also be a Non-Race specific combos, but isn't free to get (requires points to use).
Each Tier holds Combos:
Assault [01, 02, 03, 04]
Strategic [05, 06, 07, 08]
Defensive [09, 10, 11, 12]
The last combo in each tier is usually the best out of that tier.
Example:
Terran - Assault
1: 8 Marines + 2 Marauders
2: 6 Marines + 2 Marauders + 1 Siege Tank
3: 8 Marines + 2 Medivac
4: 10 Marines + 4 Marauders
Maybe you can make risk takers able to gain more units using a randomize "all" option... Meaning you have a chance of gaining more units if you prefer to take this risk.
So in the end results:
Options:
[Assault]
[Strategic]
[Defensive]
[Random]
The idea is to have each tier has as much random combos as possible that fits that role...
BUT! Random tier has a chance of randomizing which tier to get, plus able to get combos not found in each of those tiers!
@payne007:
I did, but that's SC1, this is SC2, which has new units that doesn't have hard counters anymore.
Unless the map was something different, but I do remember the Micro Arena name.
There were civilians used to activate beacons I think, to select a squad/group to spawn.
@payne007:
That's when you go further and try to balance a small group of normal unit, vs a massive unit.
So maybe in some cases, 1 massive is equal to a group of 8 unit, but sometimes not so much when it comes to other kinds of units.
I think about 1 thor is equal to 4 zealots damage wise because they do a lot of damage to prevent the thors from sniping them off.
8 Marines might fail though, but mainly because of the dual shots the thor uses to kill 1 marine.
...
Maybe separate normal staple units, from massive units which can be used in limited numbers?
You know how you can summon a unit via Civilian -> beacon thing in sc1 right? Well in SC2, what if you can make a custom currency/points system for kills, and it allows players to gain access to buying massive units?
The massive units probably can work alongside normal units, so a player can buy a stack of 8 marines + 1 battlecruiser.
Also, you should consider adding the immortal into the list as it's own speciality.
* 2 Immortals + 2 Sentries
And in my case, for some combos to work, I see Sentries and High Templars as support units most of the time, so when making a combo, you need a main combat unit, and if possible, any support unit...
Maybe you could curve this customization further by offering different possible options for players to summon:
1) At first you can only summon bulk numbers of simply army units.
2) Upon gaining enough kills, you unlock support units to spend credits on.
3) Upon gaining enough points, you can spend credits on massive units!
1 Point for 1 supply kill. So a Immortal counts as 3 supply = 3 points?
Air units that are mainly used can be the Viking, Phoenix, and Mutalisks only.
Void Ray, Corruptor, and Banshees are "advanced units" that has to be bought with currency.
If you make the currency a bit harsher on spammers (void ray massing), then it can be made so it's impossible to go over a capacity limit of that unit, or making it too cost effective.
What could work for the spawning system, is a easy to access structure that is shown on the hud, that allows you to select your spawning unit from anywhere...
Heck, if your good at this, you could even make it possible to access "purchasing" menus using the on screen buttons.
@payne007:
Start off simple, like a full use of supply for 1 unit, for the staple battle ready units.
The bigger units like Thor, Battlecruisers, Colossus, Carriers, Broodlords and Ultralisks are exempted from the supply and will be limited to 1-2 unit per combo. Mainly because they not only has and use a lower amount of total supplies, but they also have a larger resource count compared to normal units.
Thor has a 300/200 cost for example...
Marines have a 50/0 cost.
1 Thor is roughly about 500 minerals of marines, or 10 marines.
So in that case, it is much easier to use 2 Thors for 1 combo, seeing how they are ridiculously good at doing damage to typical ground units (they do splash damage to air too).
2 Battlecruisers seems balanced against 2 thors (rapid attacks).
2 Colossus can be a bit troubling against a army of small units (on both sides that is), because marines, stalkers, and marauders can focus fire on one. But they can harm a group of units easily with decent and rapid damage.
2 Ultralisk is okay, since they do 25 in a area attack, and thus fits the role of a meat shield better.
2 Carriers is good enough since that would make it 20 interceptors doing 5 damage each? Having a 0 cost to remake interceptors is required.
2 Broodlords are okay... Seeing how any more can make the broodlings out of control.
Rather than zealot + stalker mixup, use sentries.
You seem to be ignoring the other units used in the game.
You should create a table, with a 8 supply unit group (since lots of units have [1,2,3] supplies):
[8]
Then have combo groups with certain segments of supplies ([6/2], [7/1], [4/4]) etc.
Try to constrain the unit group to it's race as much as possible, unless your totally trying new combos like:
Spellcasters: 2 Infestors, 2 High Templars (total 8 supply).
Don't go adding combos that imbalances things, mainly because you want to mix the unit races together.
The point isn't having cool combos, it's allowing players to cooperate with different sets of tactics.